Jeremy Hunt should face an “immediate” inquiry into whether he broke
ministerial rules in his dealings with the Murdoch empire, a former
Whitehall standards adviser has said.

Sir John Bourn, the former independent adviser on the Ministerial Code, said there was no need for David Cameron to wait for the Leveson Inquiry to examine the Culture Secretary before beginning his own investigation.

Mr Cameron said yesterday he was prepared to order a Whitehall investigation into Mr Hunt’s overseeing of the Murdoch bid for BSkyB, but only after Mr Hunt gives evidence to Lord Justice Leveson next month.

The Prime Minister also set the stage for questions about his own actions when he admitted discussing the bid for BSkyB with James Murdoch while his Government was deciding whether to let the takeover go ahead.

Lord Butler of Brockwell, a former cabinet secretary, told BBC Radio Five Live there was “no doubt that the letter of the Ministerial Code has been breached” in Mr Hunt’s case.

However, he described the breach as “a technical sin” that was “not enough for a man’s career to be ruined”.

Mr Hunt is under pressure over the bid after it emerged that his special adviser supplied the Murdochs’ News Corporation with confidential information about the minister’s “quasi-judicial” decisions on the case.

Labour says Mr Hunt has broken the code, but Mr Cameron has refused to ask Sir Alex Allan, his independent adviser on the rules, to investigate.

Labour will today demand that the Prime Minister comes before the Commons to make a statement on Mr Hunt and the code. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, believes that Mr Cameron is failing to enforce the code and must explain himself to MPs.

A Labour source said: “With Parliament breaking up on Tuesday, Mr Cameron must come to the Commons and explain to the British people why he is ducking his responsibilities to enforce the Ministerial Code.”

Yesterday, Mr Cameron said any decision on a Whitehall investigation would have to wait until Mr Hunt testifies to the inquiry next month.

“If evidence comes out through the [Leveson] inquiry, where you’re giving evidence under oath, if he did breach the Ministerial Code, then clearly that’s a different issue and I would act,” he told the Andrew Marr Show.

Sir John, the first independent adviser on the code, told The Daily Telegraph: “It would be reasonable and logical to have an investigation under the code immediately.”

Mr Hunt came under further pressure yesterday over his insistence that Jonathan Stephens, his permanent secretary, had “authorised” Adam Smith, his special adviser, to act as a point of contact with News Corp. Mr Smith, who supplied information about the bid, resigned last week. Mr Stephens said in a letter that he was “aware and content” with the arrangement, but did not confirm that he authorised it.

Sir Michael Lyons, the former chairman of the BBC Trust, also attacked Mr Hunt yesterday for being “far too close” to the Murdoch empire.

Mr Cameron is also preparing to give evidence, and yesterday admitted discussing the bid with Mr Murdoch at a private dinner in 2010, but insisted: “I never had any inappropriate conversations with anyone about this.”

Harriet Harman, the Labour deputy leader, said Rupert Murdoch should give up his existing stake in BSkyB because he is not a “fit and proper person” to own part of a British broadcaster.

Lord McConnell, the former First Minister of Scotland, said he was taking legal action against News International after being told his phone number and those of his two children were found in notes belonging to a private detective who worked for the company.